Split onions are likely the source of the multi-state E.coli An outbreak linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounder burgers continues to grow, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday.
Onions were one of two prime suspects when the CDC announced the outbreak on October 22, with the other being the beef patties used on the burgers. But onions quickly became the main suspect. The day after the CDC's announcement, McDonald's onion supplier Taylor Farms recalled peeled and diced yellow onion products and several other fast-food chains removed onions from their menus as a precaution. (So far, no other restaurants have been linked to the outbreak.)
According to the CDC, trace information and epidemiological data collected since then have all pointed to the onions, and according to McDonald's, state and federal tests of the beef patties have all come back negative.
In the CDC's update on Wednesday, the agency said 15 more people had been classified as sick in the outbreak, including five who had been hospitalized. In total, that brings the outbreak to 90 cases, including 27 hospitalizations and one death, covering 13 states.
All newly reported illnesses started before the onion recall on October 23. The most recent onset of the disease was on October 16. Additional illnesses may be reported as it can take three to four weeks for illnesses to be associated with an outbreak.
“Due to McDonald's and Taylor Farms' product actions, the CDC believes the ongoing risk to the public is very low,” the agency said in a media alert.
McDonald's says Quarter Pounders – without onions – will return to the menus of affected restaurants this week. Prior to the recall, 900 restaurants had received onions from Taylor Farms, including in Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming, as well as parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Utah.
